Evans ‘wouldn’t mind’ shakeup in Broncos front office in offseason
Dec 20, 2018, 11:34 AM | Updated: Dec 30, 2018, 4:24 am
As the Denver Broncos season winds down to a disappointing end, with the team missing the postseason for a third consecutive year, some have called for change within the team’s coaching staff.
But if Denver’s considering moving on from Vance Joseph and company, “Schlereth and Evans” co-host Mike Evans said on Thursday that it’s only fair if the Broncos look at the front office situation as well.
“I just feel that if we’re going to be hell-bent on change in the coaching staff I wouldn’t mind seeing some changes in the front office as well,” Evans said. “I know John’s not going anywhere, but you look at his front office, it’s the same guys. They’ve all been in place since Day One.
“You’re telling me you can’t bring in some new blood, new faces?”
In four seasons as general manager without Peyton Manning at quarterback (2011, and 2016-2018), John Elway has amassed a record of 28-34, including a 20-26 mark since the team’s Super Bowl championship in 2016.
While giving credit to Elway for luring Manning to Denver, Evans said you can’t just lump in the team’s four-year run with the future Hall of Famer with the disappointing seasons that followed.
“I think you have to look at it like what was it like with Peyton and what’s it been like without,” Evans said.
With that, Evans questioned exactly how long a leash is Elway afforded after leading the Broncos to two Super Bowl trips and one championship.
“If it was the same situation, same record, everything, but some guy named Reggie McKenzie or John Dorsey, you’d be looking at it completely different,” Evans said.
Evans’ co-host, Mark Schlereth, agreed, saying that if it were any other general manager than Elway he’d either be fired by now or, at least, “would be getting hammered.”
“I don’t know that the guy would be gone, but he, certainly, would be under a heck of lot more pressure,” Schlereth said.
But Schlereth said you can’t just “sweep under the rug” Elway and the front office’s change in philosophy over the past offseason and by many accounts a solid draft class.
“You have to acknowledge that changes have been made based upon that last draft class,” Schlereth said. “Now, can you put back-to-back draft classes like that together?
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.
